Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 14, 1941.

G. STR ICKLAND REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 25, 1940 INYENTOR. 6mm: 6. SHEA w,

3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 14, 1941. H s c D 2,259,219-

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS File d Sept. 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6 GE 19. 5 ram-41 mva.

Ill-9 ATT ORNEYJ.

Oct. 14, 1941.

G. H. STRICKLAND REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 25, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 j NUNITED STATES PATENT o1=1=1cia 2,259,219

REFBIGERATING APPARATUS George H. Strickland, Oakwood, Ohio, asaign'or to v General Motors Corporation, Dayton, 01110, corporation of Delaware Application September 25, 1940, Serial No. 358,332

claims, (01. 62-1085) vice taken on the line i-J showing the transverse walls of the grid interlocked with the longitudinal walls thereof Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustratingice blocks are mechanically released from the grid 5 frozen in the device and showing one of the transand from the trays by relative movement of the verse grid walls moved to break ice blocks from grid walls. the body of ice;

In ice trays of this type, it has been the custom Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the deheretofore to divide the interior of the tray into vice taken on the line 5- of Fig. 4: a plurality of small compartments by extending Fig. 6 is a view of the freezing device illustrat-. the relatively movable grid or dividing walls from ing the grid elevated relative to the tray and the top to the bottom of the tray. In this manner 1 showing ice blocks in the tray that have been rethe water has been frozen into separate or indileased from the grid; and e vidual ice blocks, each separated from the others Fig.1 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a by grid walls and each removable from its commodified form of grid structure disposed in a partment by relative movement of the grid walls. 1 tray for carrying out the present invention,

, To improve upon such prior ice trays and grids Referring to the drawings, for illustrating my and upon the method of removing ice in block invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof, a freezform therefrom, is the principal object of my ining tray of the type used in household refrigeravention. I accomplish this principal object by tors. The freezing device comprises apan or tray employing a principle sometimes used in the "I having side walls ll, end walls l2 and a bottom harvesting of ice on a commercial scale; that is, wall I. The side walls ii of the tray iii are the principle involving first scoring or marking diverged outwardly toward the top of the tray the surface of the body of ice into sections of the (see Fig. 3) and the end walls i2 thereof are also size desired and then by the application of force diverged outwardly toward-the top of tray ill at causing said body of ice to split throughout its a greater angle than the side walls (see Fig. 2) depth along the markings or scorings to form to facilitate removal of ice from the tray, The smaller blocks ofice, upper edge of the side and end walls II and ii In employing this principle to accomplish the respectively of the tray l0, are bent or rolled principal object of my invention, I provide an over to form a rim it around the top thereof improved tray including a grid structure having which rim stiffens the tray against deformation. relatively movable walls and designed to fit only Opposed end walls I! of tray iii are provided ceninto the upper portion of the tray, leaving the trally thereof with avertically disposed outwardly lower portion of the tray unobstructed by the depressed portion l'l (see Fig. 2) which extends grid Walls- Thus. in my improved grid, the movfrom the rim l6 downwardly to a point approxiable grid walls perform two functions; first, they I mately midway between the top and bottom of serve to score or mark the upper surface of the the tray. The depressed portions ii in the tray body of ice formed in the tray and secondly, end walls i2, form grooves i8 (see Fig. l) which when moved relative to one another by the appligrooves are adapted to receiv a portion of a grid cation of force, they serve to split the large body to be disposed in the tray in the manner and for of ice throughout its depth into smaller blocks of the purpose to be hereinafter described. The the s z r tray iii may, if desired, be covered with any suit- Incident to the main object of my invention able wax coating 'toiacilitate the release of ice which is set forth above, numerous other more therefrom. specific objects will become apparent from the 4' Within tray i0, I place a unitary removable mefollowin ription and claims, ref nce being tallic grid structure 20 comprising a rigid or sub .had to the accompanying drawings wherein: stantlally inflexible longitudinal wall 2| and a F 1 is a p P View Of a eezing device plurality of'rigid or substantially inflexible transconstructed in accordance with the present inverse walls 22, The metal walls of grid 20 may ventlon including a tray and agrid structure disalso, if desired, be covered with any suitable wax Posed i the y; coating to facilitate the release of ice therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device taken v The transverse walls are arranged in spaced apart on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the grid structure relationship along the length of the longitudinal shown in elevation; wall 2| andare loosely mounted in upper and F. g. 3 is a transverse sectional view ofthe delower slots--23 and 24 respectively, provided in wall 2|. Forexample, walls 22 may be provided with an opening 26 which is slit as at 21 (see Fig. 3), to permit the walls 22tobe assembled over web portions 28 intermediate the slots 23 and 24 of longitudinal wall 2 The openings 26 are preferably of suflici'ent length to pass freely over the widest portion of thewebs 23 of wall 2| so as to permit movement of the walls 22 ina manner and for'the purpose presently to be described. Each upper slot 23 in wall 2| has an inclined bottom wall 23 and the slots 23 and 24 together with wall 29 of slots 23 are constructed and arranged to maintain the transverse grid walls 22 normally in an inclined position with respect to the vertical. The slots 23 and24 permit transverse walls 22 to be moved toward the vertical relative to the longitudinal wall 2| and this movement is preferably first a tilting and then a sliding movement in a direction lengthwise of wall 2|.

In order to prevent tilting of the entire grid .may receive the grid to hold same in the upper part of the tray and in horizontal alignment 3o therewith. For example, all edges of the grid walls may be shaped to fit against the diverging tray walls to support the grid within the tray since the grid walls are adapted to be moved from an inclined position toward the vertical.

It will be noted that the grid walls 2| and 22 extend only to a point about midway between the top of tray l0 and its bottom wall l4. Thus the interior of the tray is divided into two sec-.

tions or portions, one an upper portion that is 40 partitioned by the grid walls 2| and 22, and the other a lower portion which is unobstructed by the grid walls. When liquid is frozen into a body of ice in the freezing device the walls 2| and 22 of grid 20 form relatively deep surface markings or scorings in the ice.

In operation, movement of the grid walls relative to one another causes the block of ice to split from top to bottom thereof on lines substantially parallel to and in alignment with the scorings formed by the grid walls. 1

Referring now'to Fig. 4, wherein I have shown a liquid frozen into a'body of ice within tray l6 and have illustrated the walls 2| and 22 of grid thereof forces the ice blocks 42 upwardly upon the tray end wall H to release the ice blocks 42 entirely from walls of the grid 20.

The angle of inclination of the end wall l2 of tray l0 may be varied somewhat i'n accordance with that part of the functioning thereof when the end ice blocks 42 are forced thereagainst. For example, end wall l2 may, if desired, be of such angle with respect to the vertical, as to cause the entire body of ice 36 to be broken away from walls of the tray and slightly elevated when the end ice blocks 42 are forced against the one end wall i2 of the tray.. However, this breaking of the entire body of ice 36 from the tray is not necessary since in the present disclosure the transverse grid walls 22 are adapted to be moved relative to the longitudinal .grid wall 2| by separate and successive independent operations of the tool or lever 38 to break ice blocks from the body of ice insequence from one end to the opposite end of the device.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, I have shown the grid 26 removed from tray i0 after having completed the independent operations of lever 38 as a 5' described to produce a plurality of ice blocks which are positioned in the tray and which blocks may be readily removed from the tray when their use is desired. It will be noted that after the grid walls 22 have been moved to produce or break ice blocks from the body of ice 36, and the lever 33 has been released from the cross walls 22, these walls will slide down the inclined bottom wall 23 of the upper slots 23, provided in longitudinal grid wall 2|, thereby to reassume their normal inclined position relative to the vertical.

The walls 22 of grid 26 are all therefore in their proper position to provide the inclined scores or scorings 31 when the grid is replaced in a tray containing a liquid to be frozen.

Since the principle of my invention and the method of scoring the body of ice together with the breaking of the ice along the scorings to produce a plurality of ice blocks is not restricted to the particular grid structure hereinbefore described. I show in Fig. '7 of the drawings, one other of many forms of grid structures that may be employed to carry out the objects of my invention. The grid 46 disclosed in Fig, '7 is preferably of the same general character and design as the grid structure fully illustrated and described in the copending application of Donald H.

Reeves, Serial No. 98,213, filed August 27, 1936. It should be understood from the foregoing that the lower portion of the longitudinal wall 4| and 20 frozen in the body of ice 36, to provide a, plu- 55 transverse walls 42 of the grid .40 are omitted rality-of scorings therein as indicated at 31, I disclose the one end transverse grid wall 22 as having been tilted or moved relative to the longitudinal grid wall 2| by a lever or prying tool 33.

or that the use of only substantially half of the height of these walls is essential in the present invention.

In the operation of grid 40, a lever 43 is raised While any suitable prying tool may be employed on to cause its cam end '44 to engage and exert a for moving the transverse grid walls, I prefer the use of a lever of the typedisclosed in the James W; Jacobs copending application Serial No. 340,293, filed June 13, 1940. Tilting movement of the end transverse grid wall 22 as disclosed in 66 Fig. 4 of the drawings, causes the ice to split, as

at 33, below scoring 31. The ice also splits below the scoring 31 formed therein below the longitudinal grid wall 2| on a line as indicated at 4|, in Fig. 5 of the drawings. wall 22 relative to wall 2| breaks'a pair of ice blocks 42 at the end of tray ill from the body 36 thereof-in the tray. Continued movement of the grid transverse wall 22 will cause same to slide This movement of the 70 body of ice ,by wallsv 4| and -42, from-the bodyof ice and to release these blocks from the grid walls. A more detailed description of the construction lengthwise oiwall 2| and this further movement. 73 and method of operating the transverse walls 42 of grid 40, may be had by referenceto the copending application of Donald H. Reeves, above identified, and no further explanation thereof is necessary herein.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved freezing device and a novel method -of producing and harvesting ice blocks therefrom. By'my improvement, the cost of grid structures for disposition in ice trays is greatly reduced, and the amount of ice produced in the tray is increased due to the fact that material employed in the construction thereof has been reduced to a minimum or substantially only half that formerly required in the manufacture of such grids. Other advantages are also obtained by my invention over former devices. For example, scratching and marring of walls of the tray and particularly the bottom wall thereof, usually caused by movement of the grid walls relative to one another while contacting the tray bottom, is eliminated since the walls in the present grid are definitely pivoted within the body of ice and without engagement with the tray bottom. This is an important advantage since most of the trays now on the market are provided with a wax coating and pivoting or movement of verse walls mounted for movement relative thereto, means for spacing said grid from the bottom of the tray with the walls thereof depending into the upper portion of the body of ice when formed, whereby the upper surface and portion of said body of ice formed in the tray is scored or marked ofl into sections of the desired shape, and means attached 150 said grid and of the tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal grid walls in contact with the tray bottom 1 scratches or breaks through this coating to destroy its continuous character which results in stronger adhesion of the ice to the metal of the tray. v

My improved device and the method of operating same result in the production of ice blocks which are substantially of the same size and configuration as produced by former devices wherein ciated with the tray for breaking up the body of ice into a plurality of small ice blocks, said means comprising, a grid of substantially less height than the height of the tray and including a longitudinal wall having a plurality of transverse walls mounted for movement relative thereto, means for spacing said grid from the bottom of the tray with the walls thereof dewall and a plurality of walls extending transversely thereof and mounted for movement relative thereto, means for spacing said grid a sub-' stantial distance from thebottom of said tray whereby the grid divides the interior of the tray into an upper partitioned portion and a lower unobstructed portion, said grid walls normally depending into the upper portion of the body of liquid in the tray to provide a plurality of scorings in the body when the liquid is frozen, and means for moving said transverse grid walls relative to said longitudinal grid wall to break the frozen body along said scorings into a pluof the tray, said grid comprising a substantially inflexible longitudinal wall and a plurality of substantially inflexible walls extending transversely'thereof and mounted for movement relative thereto, said tray having a vertically disposed depression in the upper part of opposed ends thereof, the ends of said longitudinal grid wall pending into the upper portion of the body of ice when formed, whereby the upper surface and portion of said body of ice formed in the tray is scored or marked oif into sections of the desired shape, andmeans for causing relative movement of said walls whereby to split the frozen body throughout its depth and. along said scorings toprovide small ice blocks.

2. In combination, a tray adapted to contain a body of water to be frozen into an ice block substantially of the size of the tray, means associated with the tray for breaking up the body of ice into a plurality of small ice blocks, said means comprising a grid of substantially less height than the height of the tray and including a longitudinal wall having a plurality of trans fitting within said depressions for supporting said grid a substantial distance from the bottom of said tray whereby the grid divides the interior of the'tray into an upper partitioned portion and a lower unobstructed portion, said rid walls normally depending into the upper portion of the body of liquid in the tray to provide a plurality of scorings in the body when the liquid is frozen. and means for moving said transverse grid walls relative to said longitudinal grid wall to break the frozen body along said scorings into a plurality of blocks.

5. The method of making ice and'of harvesting the ice in small block form from an ice tray of the type generally employed in household mechanical refrigerators which consists in, freezing a body of water in the tray and, during the freezing operation, scoring or marking the upper portion and surface of the ice into a plurality of sections of the desired shape, whereby the body of water is frozen'into a solid block of ice having scorings or markings in its upper portion, and applying force to the means used for scoring or marking the block of ice to move the means horizontally whereby said block of ice is split throughout its depth along the scorings or markings.

GEORGE H. STRICKLAND. 

